Are You Living Your Passion?

Every time I look at one of these photos of Kathleen’s and think about how much I lusted after the very life we’re living I have no choice but to reflect upon how very blessed we are. Have always been. I’ll never forget asking my dad when I was a junior in high school, “How am I supposed to go about choosing a career? Where do I start?” His response was profound, and not of the times, and for some reason that surprised me.

“Do what you would do if you didn’t have to make any money at it whatsoever. Only then will you be passionate about your life and your work. Only then will you do your best job. Only then will you be happy.”

Steven Covey has his seven habits of highly effective people. Andy Andrews has seven decisions. There are twelve keys to success. Thirty secrets. Eight principles. Five things you must know. Eight ways to the top. Six lessons for a happy life.

But I believe my dad had it right. There’s really only one thing you need. And that one thing drives all the others.

That one thing is passion.

Where does it come from? Why does it work? How do you find it?

Libraries and book stores are full of attempts to analyze the passion-driven vision of successful people by breaking down what they did or didn’t do into neatly compiled lists. But there is no power in those lists. Only information. Information that is historical in nature and no more applicable to all people and all circumstances than is taste in wine, preference of religion, or choice of spouse. But the magical results of living a life of passion are available to everyone of you regardless of goals, dreams, age, gender or education. Anything is possible when you care passionately about it. With passion, obstacles are just that. Mere obstacles. Something to power over, or dig under, or find some way around. Without passion those obstacles usually win.

A few years ago (more than a few actually) I wrote a song for one of our films that began: Sittin’ on the sidelines ain’t what living’s all about; Waitin’ in the wings, just to see how it turns out…

“You’ll never be accused of that,” Kathleen said earlier today, peering over my shoulder as I wrote this. “Not even close.”

She’s right, of course.

And what worked for me can work for you.

Step into your wildest dreams.

Live your passion.

I recommend it.

The story of our journey with horses (to date) is told in the two books that follow: the national best seller The Soul of a Horse – Life Lessons from the Herd and its sequel Born Wild – The Soul of a Horse.

And what a story it is as two novices without a clue stumble and bumble their way through the learning process so that hopefully you won’t have to. If you haven’t read both of these books already please do because with that reading, I believe, will come not just the knowledge of discovery but the passion and the excitement to cause you to commit to your journey with horses, to do for the horse without waiver so that your relationship and experience will be with loving, happy and healthy horses who are willing partners and who never stop trying for you. Horses like ours.

The highly acclaimed best selling sequel to the National Best SellerThe Soul of a Horse – Life Lessons from the Herd

Please list the names for each inscription in the “instructions to Seller” field as you check out!

“One cannot help but be touched by Camp’s love and sympathy for animals and by his eloquence on the subject.” – Michael Korda, The Washington Post

“Joe Camp is a natural when it comes to understanding how animals tick and a genius at telling us their story. His books are must-reads for those who love animals of any species.” – Monty Roberts – Author of New York Timers Best-seller The Man Who Listens to Horses

“Camp’s tightly-written, simply-designed and powerfully drawn chapters often read like short stories that flow from the heart.” Jack L. Kennedy – The Joplin Independent

“Joe Camp is a gifted storyteller and the results are magical. Joe entertains, educates and empowers, baring his own soul while articulating keystone principles of a modern revolution in horsemanship.” – Rick Lamb – TV/Radio host – The Horse Show

Comments

when my grandchildren always want to go to nu-nu’s cabin, when a patient leaves my room smiling after crying and says thank you ms kim, and all I did was listen, when I drive up my driveway and see the deer at play and the cats and horses and dogs that surround my cabin, all throw aways…I am humbled to have been given such blessings in this lifetime!

When I first got involved with Monty Roberts’ training methods I never thought it would lead to re-assessing my entire life! Reading your blog Joe makes me realise that I’m NOT living the dream… I’m sort-of part way there as my husband and I work for ourselves. However, as we need a steady income to pay the bills I have to go out and do programming work which – frankly – I’ve hated for a long time now. Sure, I do a good job and there are occasions where I’ve got into the flow and enjoyed my working day, but on the whole I feel like I’m wasting my life!

Hubby Damien says it’s all a means to an end and that having the money means we can continue to treat ourselves to life’s little luxuries such as having a roof over our heads and eating. In theory it should also provide some treats, like the company of my horses, but as I’ve been ill for some time it feels like all I do is work! I’ve felt so tired that my horses have had to make so with the scraps of my time. Hopefully, the medical problems are now fixed as I’ve had a pretty major operation, but I’m still left with the feeling that life shouldn’t be like this. I don’t expect things to always be easy and I don’t feel that God owes me any favours, but surely this struggle to get through every day means that I’m on the wrong path?

I can *feel* the dream though. Part of it is a country house in the English countryside (probably not far from where I live now) with my horses in the yard and quite possibly roses in the garden. Damien and I will also have the sprog who has been eluding us for the past 5 years!

But how do I live the dream? I’ve picked up so many self-help books like the ones mentioned in your blog in an effort to find a guide, but I only manage to read a few pages as they don’t “speak” to me. I think at heart I’m simply scared (perhaps even terrified!) to take a leap. Like a lot of people I feel that I have a story to write and I keep saying I’ll do it! But in comes good old self-doubt saying things like “You’ll never finish it” or “You’ll never get it published” and even “People might actually read it”.

Your dad gave you a great bit of advice Joe. I think I’m going to take it too and start putting fingers to keyboard in earnest. Will I get published? Who knows? I feel that I have to try. I don’t want to be looking back on my life in the years to come and always wondering why I didn’t follow my dream.

Thank you for stimulating a whole lot of soul-searching this morning! :-)

Catherine.

PS: I love the photo on the cover of your new book – it’s just perfect and fits the title so well.

No one could of sent me any thing better than this e-mail. I’m haveing a very hard time trying to get hay to my semi trailer that I have. Or I should say my trailer to the hay. I couldn’t find any one to haul it for me and now that I have it seems the trailers not road worthy and I was just sitting here asking my self why I go through all this for stupid horses and I opened your e-mail and you answered my question.I can’t believe how easy it is to lose ones want when thing don’t fall in to place as easy as we’d like. I love your e-mails very much!!! You always seem to put me back on track. Thank you and Kathleen so very,very much. God bless. Louanne

Soooo love your blogs and I’m enjoying your journey, thanks for sharing with us!! Where can I find the complete lyrics for “Sittin’ on the sidelines ain’t what living’s all about; Waitin’ in the wings, just to see how it turns out… Sounds like a good motivator, or a push in the right direction!! smile
Can’t wait for Who needs Hollywood to arrive!

Absolutely correct, Joe. Thankfully, your father did not give advice “of the times”.

Unfortunately, mine did. Finally, I had taken all of living his advice I could take, and did start following my dream. 6-1/2 years later, we’re still here, and we’re still pushing forward with our dreams.

Also unfortunately, that advice “of the times” is still still out there and very strongly ensconced in many folks’ minds and hearts. Breaking away from it is hard, but absolutely necessary.

We are blessed, indeed. Thanks for the reminder. I really did need it today.

P.S. “Who Needs Hollywood” came in at our local bookstore, Rock Point Books. I’ll pick it up tomorrow. Looking forward to reading it.

Joe & Kathleen

Barely eight years ago Joe and Kathleen Camp entered the world of horses without a horse or a clue and very quickly found their questions steering them into uncharted and controversial waters on a collision course with the ultimate discovery that most "domestic" horses in the world are being kept and cared for in a manner that is diametrically contradictory to their genetic design. Since that moment they have both become passionate advocates for change.
Kathleen is a lawyer specializing in litigation and is now teaching American Literature at The Webb School. Joe created the international canine superstar Benji and wrote, produced, and directed all five of the Benji movies and various television programs. His recent book The Soul of a Horse is a national best seller and in its ninth printing.
Even with all the accomplishments and media exposure, Camp is still in awe of his own success. “Inside, I’m still a kid sitting in a dark theater in Little Rock, Arkansas, watching Disney’s ‘Song of the South’ or reading books like the Black Stallion with happy tears rolling down my cheeks,” he says. “To be able to bringt that kind of happiness to others is very special.”
For more, click on the About Joe & Kathleen link in the header bar above.